California

﻿﻿﻿﻿ This beautiful Nature attraction is located next to the Redwood National and state Parks, in northern California. It is a Redwood Forrest experience, named the Trees of Mystery. This attraction features a unique hike through the Redwoods of California, and it has been enchanting visitors since 1946. Up ahead,...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ These massive redwood trees, are living organisms, and they have a longstanding history with our planet. They come from a line of ancient plant-life that made its way across the globe. Some of these trees are incredibly old, so old in fact, their near-relatives would have been here back...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ Directly ahead, you’ll find the trinity tree, where one enormous tree appears to have formed into a trinity. And if you pan to the left, you’ll see a funny shaped tree named the lightning tree. It stands out among the others with its distinct lightning bolt shape. Who says...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ Up ahead, you’ll see a group of nine trees growing together as one, aptly named the “cathedral” tree. It is thought that Approximately 1000 years ago, there was a very large tree that stood in the center of this formation. This giant tree had fallen to the ground. But...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ On your journey up to the sky trail, you’ll encounter this incredible tree overhang, with a complex network of branches covering the path ahead. This intricate web of tangled branches provides some shade for weary travelers, trying to avoid the sun. This location is not only a perfect spot...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ The proliferation of Redwood Trees, have been discovered throughout our Northern Hemisphere. With maximum coverage on the earth, dating back 65 million years. Scientists have traced back the lineage of this ancient organism even further, finding an origin point dated as far back, as the Upper Cretaceous, around 110...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ If you’re in the mood for a wilderness adventure, be sure to take the SkyTrail gondola ride up to Ted’s Ridge. After unloading, you will begin your journey down the rugged Wilderness Trail seen here. This trail starts at the top of Ted’s Ridge, and winds down the mountain...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ The success of the Redwoods, are in part due to its growth rate which can be incredibly, quick. Redwoods have been documented with gains of over 7 feet in diameter, in as few as 100 years. The trees seen here, while fast growing, are from a much younger group,...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ When visiting the trees of mystery in person, you should plan to spend at least a half day here. Aside from the amazing nature experience they also feature a fantastic museum and gift shop. With culinary treats and a restaurant near by it is easy to spend your day...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ Redwood trees have some interesting methods of protection. For starters, their bark is very thick, with as much as a foot deep in some cases. If a tree is exposed to fire, the bark will char, and turn into a heat shield. Within the chemical composition of the tree...

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ The Redwood have another survival strategy hidden in their burls. A burl is the wooden material found at the base of the tree, and it serves as a storage device for the organisms genetic code. It is full of unsprouted bud tissue, and if the tree should happen to...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ There are 3 distinct types of Redwood trees, and they are classified as three separate genera, the Coastal, the Sierra, and the Dawn, Redwood. The dawn redwood is deciduous while the sempervirens and the gigantea, are both evergreen. I hope you’ve had a wonderful experience here with me at...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ Welcome to this beautiful Japanese Tea Garden, located inside the Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco, California. This location is the oldest public Japanese Tea Garden in the United States. Originally constructed as part of the World’s Fair, during the California, Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. This garden features...

﻿﻿﻿ Here inside the Garden, you’ll find influences by various aspects of Japanese culture and religion, like this statue of Buddha, found directly ahead. Here we see Buddha, with his hands placed, in the Abhayamudrā , position. Immediately after attaining enlightenment this hand gesture was shown by Buddha, and it...

﻿﻿﻿ Up ahead, we can see a circular bridge called a taiko bashi. This type of Japanese structure is sometimes referred to as a Moon or Drum bridge. It gets its name from the full circle shape that it creates with its reflection on the water. There is an inscription...

﻿﻿﻿ Every detail from the flora selection to the placement of rocks, the water flow, the paths, even the location of the trees, everything, is purposeful, to emphasize a natural flow, as embodied in Taoism. In Shintoism, it is believed that the spirits of ancestors, and spirits of the Gods...

﻿﻿﻿ When the World’s Fair concluded in 1894, Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese immigrant and master gardener, oversaw the transition of the Japanese Village fair exhibit to the permanent Japanese Tea Garden. Once the expansion and transition was complete, the tea garden had all but tripled in size. To fill up...

﻿﻿﻿ A proper traditional rock garden, follows very specific artistic principles. Techniques use to achieve this art form, include careful consideration of the stones used, including their color, size, shape, placement, asymmetry, and overall garden geometry. Here we find ourselves in a peaceful location, located deep within the garden, and...

﻿﻿﻿ This incredible structure is called a pagoda, and it is a five-tiered Buddhist shrine that was installed as part of the garden’s exhibit, in the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. Pagoda’s originate from the Buddhist religion in India and East Asia and they come in two types, ones used for tombs,...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ Interestingly, Japanese tea gardens are a place of sacred ritual, where Japanese culture and religious philosophies, are communicated through the respected art forms of landscaping and architecture. Japanese aesthetics are often influenced by the geographic location of Japan, where an emphases on isolation and the importance of water, can...

﻿﻿﻿ As you travel towards the back of the garden you will encounter a variety of trees, including flowering cherries, azaleas, magnolias, camellias, Japanese maples, pines, cedars and cypresses. Up ahead, just beyond this fence, there is a Buddhist shrine called a pagoda. When visiting this very location, TC remarked...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ The architect Bernard Maybeck is quoted as saying, that the purpose of The Palace of Fine Arts is to show “the mortality of grandeur, and the vanity of human wishes”. I can’t think of a more appropriate location to ponder the depth, of that wonderful description. I would highly...

﻿﻿﻿ Let us take a moment and appreciate this spectacular three hundred and sixty degree view of the rotunda. This vantage point provides an incredible perspective of the towering arches and columns above us. Perched at the very top of each column, you’ll see eight separate angelic figures, looking down...

﻿﻿﻿ The Palace of Fine Arts is located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California. This fantastic structure happens to be an architectural icon of the city. Originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, to exhibit works of art featured there. This incredible icon is one of only a...

﻿﻿﻿ As you can see from this vantage point, the main Rotunda is built surrounded by a small artificial lagoon. The lagoon was constructed to echo the water scene’s found in classical settings in Europe. Here the expansive water vista creates a mirrored surface, reflecting the architecture from a considerable...

﻿﻿﻿ As we approach the beautiful Rotunda, you can see that this structure is surrounded by a lovely artificial lagoon. The lagoon was constructed to echo the water scene’s found in classical settings in Europe. Here the expansive water vista creates a mirrored surface, reflecting the architecture from a considerable...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ At the entrance to the Palace of Fine Arts, you will see several beautiful garden areas containing trees and shrubbery. The plants here help to create the illusion, that you’re standing among an ancient mystical relic, overrun by nature, in some other time altogether. Standing here next to these...

﻿﻿﻿ Just ahead, we see the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge, located in the beautiful city of San Francisco California. Construction of this bridge began in January of 1933, and was completed in 1937. Despite being built during the Great Depression, this magnificent bridge was completed under budget and ahead of...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ The two main suspension cables holding up the roadway on this bridge, use a combined total, of 80,000 miles of wire. If you were to stretch them out and loop them around the Earth, it would circle our planet three times over. At the time of construction in 1937,...

﻿﻿﻿ Located at the end of Torpedo Wharf, is a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and skyline. This Wharf got its name after the Army constructed a submarine mine depository here, in the early nineteen hundreds. Today this peaceful spot is a popular location for fisherman and sight...

﻿﻿﻿ This is the last and final stop on this enchanting tour, of Hearst Castle. Here we find ourselves in an elegant North Wing bedroom. I hope you had a wonderful time exploring the castle with me. I encourage you to visit Hearst Castle in person if you should ever...

﻿﻿﻿ This beautiful black and white designed bathroom, can be found here in the new wing, of the castle. This bathroom is both glamorous and sheek, with gold fixtures and an abundance of marble found about. It also features wall to wall mirrors, so you can make sure you are...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ Construction of the North Wing began in the late 1930s, and it carried well into the 1940s. When working out the details of this area, William and Julia Morgan decided upon a lighter palette and an increased use of natural light. These design choices would give this Wing, a...

﻿﻿﻿ Inside this bathroom, you’ll find a black and white solid marble sink, and a golden seven headed shower. So if you need to freshen up, or get your morning started on the right foot, you’ve come to the right place. I think this elegant North Wing bathroom, would be...

﻿﻿﻿ As you can see, the north wing features some absolutely incredible paintings, like the one seen here. This lovely bedroom is located just around the corner from the sitting room. These rooms and their lighter colors, make this space feel bright and spacious. More Destinations on THE GRID

﻿﻿﻿ This sitting room contains a number of elegant art pieces from China. On display here, is a small collection of ornate Chinese lamps, vases, and rugs. Take for instance the beautiful Lion of Buddha lamp, seen directly ahead. Traditionally, guardian lions are special creatures found in tombs or temples,...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ The construction of this wing was continued long after William left the hilltop for the last time, in 1947, and it was among the last extensions of the castle to be completed. With a lighter color palette, and new approaches to the lighting, this wing features some of the...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ Welcome to one of the wing’s elegant bathrooms. Designed and created to match the aesthetics found within the north wing, many of the details here could be considered modern, even by today’s standards. More Destinations on THE GRID

﻿﻿﻿﻿ The light corridors of this wing help to make these rooms feel bright and spacious. It is thought that the lighter colors found on the walls were just a temporary color, that would change once the final details of this wing had been completed. More Destinations on THE GRID...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ Welcome to a lovely sitting room, located within the North Wing. This stunning sitting room features an absolutely magnificent rug from China, along with beautiful jade colored lamps and fine Spanish artwork hanging on the walls. More Destinations on THE GRID

﻿﻿﻿ This bedroom reflects a more modern aesthetic, and a much lighter color selection. On display in this lovely room, you’ll find beautiful Spanish furniture, and artwork. Like much of the north wing, this bedroom remains remarkably new in appearance because it has seen fewer guests, than the older parts...

﻿﻿﻿﻿ The concept for Del Mar was conceived around a sixteenth century Spanish motif. Originally this house was planned as the primary residence for William Hearst, and because of this the building received a heightened attention during construction. It was because of Wiliam’s exquisite attention to detail, that this room...

﻿﻿﻿ This sitting room inside Del Mar was decorated, to resemble the sitting room in the Payne Whitney mansion, located in New York City, NY.. The spectacular red velvet wall drapings, the incredible gold accents, and beautiful low-relief gilded ceiling, all help to create the grand opulence, that is felt,...

﻿﻿﻿ This spectacular room opens up to the back side of Del Mar where the loggia is located. As you can see here, the sunlight shines in from the loggia, and casts this room in a radiant glow. From this location, we can see the doors to two bedrooms, and...

﻿﻿﻿ Here in this elongated bedroom, you’ll find enough room for two separate beds, and a sitting area. The floor inside this room is constructed with Spanish terra cotta tiles. Complete with its own wood burning fireplace and sitting area, this room is a beautiful blend of opulence and function....

﻿﻿﻿ Aptly named the “Shield Room”, this bedroom in Del Mar was designed with nobility in mind. Among its features is a private wood burning fireplace, and plenty of gold details to satisfy the richest of taste. From this vantage point you can see an abundance of these gold accents,...

﻿﻿﻿ Welcome to a room that is commonly known as the “Hero Room”. This magnificent bedroom features a ceiling that was patterned from a sixteenth-century original, found at the “House of the Heroes”, located in Granada Spain. More Destinations on THE GRID

﻿﻿﻿﻿ This home was both the first and the final residence for William. Initially health problems made this guesthouse a preferred place to stay, but ultimately in the end, William would be forced to leave this house behind, when his health began to fail. More Destinations on THE GRID

﻿﻿﻿ This cottage is named the “House of the Sea”, and it is a guest house that fully embraces the nautical theme. With nautical details found everywhere. Originally, this home was created to be William’s main residence, this changed however, soon after the main building was constructed. More Destinations on...

﻿﻿﻿ Welcome to the master bedroom of William Hearst. The ceiling of this magnificent room is a fourteenth century Spanish Gothic ceiling, that originated from Teruel, Spain. The portrait to the right side of the bed is of his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst. It was painted by Henry Clive, who...